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The holidays always make me feel a little craftier, and now that the girls are three, I’m having a lot of fun starting family traditions!

On November 1st, I created our third annual family thankful tree. Everyone was assigned a colored leaf and each day, we all put one leaf on the tree, to share what we were thankful for. On Thanksgiving, we had a beautiful tree, full of thanks.

As usual in our household, our Christmas tree went up the weekend before Thanksgiving. Typically, we put it up early, so we can enjoy it longer, since we usually travel up to two weeks over the holidays.

I found a wonderful advent calendar from Target, that would keep my creativity flowing throughout the holidays. Each day, the girls flip over an ornament on the advent tree, and we do whatever is on the back.

Just one week into December and we have already created a paper garland, decorated a Christmas tree, put up our felt Christmas tree, made ornaments for the tree, looked at Christmas lights, taken a picture with Santa, and created gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies!

We also have had fun with Elfie, our Elf on the Shelf. Every morning, Elfie flies to a new spot and the girls have a lot of fun trying to find her!

Over the past two years, the Christmas felt tree has been a hit in our household. The girls love to decorate and re-decorate the tree, again and again.

This year, I was excited to find a felt nativity scene, to put on the wall, and even more thrilled to watch the girls take turns, telling each other the true meaning of Christmas.

Every day, offers a little something exciting in the countdown for Christmas. Each day, we find Elfie, take a paper ring off of the Christmas garland, and flip over an ornament on our advent calendar, to see what special event we get to do that day!

We love the holidays and look forward to these new traditions and finding even more, for years to come!

Ever since the girls were born, I frequently found myself excited for the next big step. When they were babies, I couldn’t wait for them to sit up and crawl. Then, I couldn’t wait for them to walk, and at 11 months, they took their first steps. I was so excited for them to talk and interact, that I couldn’t wait for them to get bigger, so we could play a game of Candyland or toss a ball.

You always hear the phrase, “Cherish every moment,” or “They grow up too fast,” but living hundreds or thousands of miles away from family, I rarely had any help, so I always thought, if they get older, it must get easier, or at least I hoped.

Now that they are almost 3.5, I finally look back at the days where they were babies, and I miss the sweet stages of those cute little diapered butts. The times when you could set them on the couch and know, they were not moving anywhere. The times that naps were still present and no one screamed back or tried to be defiant. No one fought or pulled any hair. There were no tantrums on aisle 3 and crying was typically silenced with a bottle, binky, or diaper change.

Raising twins is hard, especially with no family close by. My hat goes off to all of the amazing women who do it every day. I have never had more struggles or challenges, or been pushed to my limits, more than I have since becoming a mom. On the flip side, I have also never experienced more joy, more love, or more fulfillment, then I have as a mother to those girls.

Today, my “next big thing” was bunk beds. Was it too early? Probably. But, the toddler beds seemed to be getting smaller and bunk beds seemed to be a logical solution for two girls who shared a small bedroom. So, today, while the girls were at preschool, the magic happened.

We said goodbye to the toddler beds.

Daddy built the bunk beds while the girls were at preschool.

They were pretty excited to find the beds when they came home!

Daddy gave them the safety talk.

….And the new beds were awesome!

Story-time before bed was extra special.

Night one is almost in the books for our transition to bunk beds. Once they finally settled down from the excitement, they were fast asleep. As of right now, Chelsea took the top bunk and Katelyn was content with the bottom. I’m sure this will change down the road, but I’m happy that there was no fighting about who was going to sleep on the top bunk.

It’s bitter-sweet to see the girls in bunk beds, because they still look so little, and of course in my eyes, they are always going to be my babies, but they love it!

For now, I need to remember to stop rushing them to grow up and enjoy the moment. As hard as some moments may be, I know, I will miss these days, just as much I miss them being little babies.

Twelve months ago, I was not a runner, not even close! In fact, I hated thinking about running. I loved to sprint, fast, but for 100, 200 yards, maybe. I loved to run around the bases in a softball game or do sprints for a warm-up. Anything beyond that, was just not for me.

One year ago, today, I completed my first “official” run, by joining an 8-week run club. That night, I ran 1 mile around the track. Little did I know, that mile, would be the start to an amazing, positive, change in my life.

I never thought I would ever complete a half marathon. I had no endurance and honestly, no desire to even try. I had myself convinced, that I was a sprinter, therefore, I could not run long distance, but last October, my mentality changed.

I set a New Year’s resolution, for 2013, that I was going to be Fit for 30. It was the year, I turned the big 3-0, and I worked hard, to get in the best shape of my life. I felt that I completed my goal when my 30th birthday arrived last October, but something was still missing. I got in shape, but I still couldn’t run. I was finally ready to stop saying, “I can’t,” and start believing in myself.

It was never easy. I made mistakes. I learned from them. I sustained injuries. I set my alarm for 5 a.m. runs. I had runs that were good and runs that brought me to tears. Most importantly, no matter what, I never quit.

I’ve learned a lot of things about myself since I started running (13.1 Milestone: Lessons Learned), but I think one of the most important ones is to have a positive attitude, not just in running, but in life. I had convinced myself that I was not good enough to run long distance and that I would never have the endurance to run a half marathon. The reality was, I just never had the desire or the patience to prove myself wrong.

I learned how powerful your mind really is and how much control your mind and your attitude have over your body. If I hit the road with a negative attitude, my run is horrible, every time.

I learned that 90% of your race, is your mental state that day. Of course, training is important, and your body needs to be properly trained, fueled, and hydrated to go the distance, but it’s just as important to train your mind, along with your body. When your body runs out of steam, your mind needs to tell your legs to keep moving.

If you told me one year ago, I would run a half marathon, I would have laughed out loud and told you, you were crazy, because I can’t run.

In the past 12 months, I have completed 2 5K’s, 4 10K’s, 1 sprint triathlon, and 2 half marathons, and I will be running my 3rd half marathon on October 26th.

It is almost overwhelming to look back at the last year and see, not just the accomplishments, but to see how much running has changed me as a person. I really believe it has given me a new outlook on life.

Running was something that once scared me, because I was so intimidated by it, but now running is a part of who I am.

A big part of me has wanted to take the girls bowling. The other part of me thought I was crazy, and so did my husband. However, I found the perfect opportunity to give the sport a chance, in an environment that welcomed my two, high-energy, preschoolers.

My husband is on vacation this week, and so are the girls, so I figured with man-to-man coverage, we would head to an alley. I started searching for bowling alleys nearby, and I stumbled across Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo. As I clicked on their website, one banner quickly caught my eye:

Wait. A bowling league, that welcomes three-year olds, and is twin friendly? This is phenomenal. I immediately called Saddleback Lanes to find out more information!

The Lil’ Strikers Bumper League is a 10 week league, but you can join anytime. The league meets on Mondays at 4 p.m. and the cost is $8 per person, which includes shoe rentals and two games of bowling! Since you are technically in a league, you also receive discounts when you return to the alley throughout the week. At the end of the league, the kids enjoy a pizza party and receive a trophy! We went on Monday, Aug 25, which was week 9 of the current league. The next league is expected to start in mid-September.

Every team in the league has 3 bowlers. Your team consists of 1 parent and 1 child or 1 parent and 2 children. If you are only bowling with one child, then you will have a ghost bowler on your team. When the child bowls, the bumpers automatically come out. When the parent bowls, the bumpers go away. Bowling ramps are provided for the little ones, who can’t throw the ball down the alley yet and the kids bowl with six pound bowling balls.

We chose to make a 3-person team. My husband bowled with the girls and I was the safety monitor to make sure they were sitting down when everyone else was bowling, not getting over excited and running into the wrong lane after they knocked their pins down, and not pressing all of the buttons on the computers.

The only problem we encountered was when Chelsea bowled a strike. She was on the verge of tears because she did not understand why she did not get to throw her second ball. Catastrophe.

By the end of our second game, Katelyn wanted to hurl her balls down the alley like daddy, so it was probably a great time to go.

For their first time bowling, the girls did great! Kate bowled a 74 and 82 and Chelsea bowled a 71 and 88. (Oh, and Daddy bowled a 225 in his second game. There. Now, it’s on record.)

Everyone had a blast and I am so glad we found this opportunity to introduce bowling to the girls. I have a feeling we will be laying some more pins down in the near future!

For more information on the Lil Strikers Bumper Bowling League, contact:

I’ve been excited for the girls to turn three because I have wanted to sign them up for gymnastics or dance class. They are old enough to be in a class with just the teacher, and not a mommy and me class, and they are old enough to tell me what they do and do not like, which they happen to be great at!

The mommy and me classes do not always work for a mommy of twins. I could never do the parent and me swim, because I was outnumbered. We tried a parent and me soccer class, but when they knew I was there, one would get clingy and one would get crazy. The mommy and me gymnastics was hard, because while I was helping one, the other one was probably jumping off the highest balance beam she could find. Mommy and me classes typically equaled stress for Mommy.

Finally, they could be in a class, that they picked themselves, and I had the opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching them do something they love.

We stumbled upon a wonderful facility, Cal Elite Kids, in Rancho Santa Margarita, that offers a variety of programs including dance, gymnastics, swimming, tumbling, preschool and so much more! They also allow you to try your first class for free, which was magnificent!

First we tried gymnastics. My girls are balls of energy, so I was certain this would be the class they would choose. They were in the Tumblebees program, which is a 45-minute class designed for 2.5 to 4 year olds. It was absolutely adorable and I was pretty sure the deal was sealed when they saw the long trampoline they got to run across! But of course, I wanted to give them the opportunity to try the dance class before we made a decision.

So we did a trial class of preschool dance. They were in the Twirly Bees class, another 45-minute class designed for 2.5-4 year olds. The dance class started off with ballet. It was super cute, but I was still sure the trampoline from gymnastics would win their vote. Then, they got to put on tap shoes. Contest over. Dance wins. Shoes, that make music, on the floor? They were over the moon excited. All they want to do is wear their tap shoes now.

We also did a trial class of preschool swimming. The Waterbugs class is a 30-minute class designed for 2.5 to 4 year olds. There is a 4:1 student / teacher ratio in the class. They are introduced to age appropriate skills, that will progressively teach them how to swim.

Cal Elite Kids is fabulous and the prices are definitely competitive which is super important when you’re paying for two! It’s your one stop shop for classes, open gym, and yes, even parent’s night out!

Every Saturday night, parent’s night out is offered for children ages 3 and up, who are fully potty trained. You can drop them off from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. for $22 per child or 5:30 – 11:30 p.m. for $32 per child! If you haven’t had a night out in a while, here’s your opportunity, and you know your kids will be having a ball while you are gone!

We are so glad we found Cal Elite Kids and look forward to watching our girls faces light up with excitement, every time we walk in their front door!

First of all…how is it even possible, that the girls just turned 3? I am completely baffled by that number. It seems like just yesterday I was holding two 5 pound babies in my arms!

Moving on…I think I may have found the ultimate, preschool-aged, birthday party venue!

This past weekend, the girls celebrated their 3rd birthday, with 14 of their friends, at Pump It Up in Lake Forest. The party was private, so the kids had the entire place to themselves for two hours!

What could be better than throwing a fabulous birthday party, at a super fun place to play, where jumping is allowed, screams and giggles are welcome, pictures can be taken for you, it was completely stress-free and best of all, you get to leave the mess behind!

There are several different packages to choose from when booking your party, which can be done online, over the phone, or in person.

We went with the deluxe package for 15 kids, which included access to the exclusive, Pump It Up invitation system (making evites a breeze), 80 minutes of private play (40-minutes in each arena), 2 slices of pizza per child, bottled water for each child (you also have the option of soda or juice), set-up, clean-up, paper goods, party photos, and amazing hosts! All we needed to bring was the cake!

40 minutes in Arena 1:

40 Minutes in Arena 2

40 Minutes in the Party Room

There are several other options you could add to your package if you choose, including additional party food (or you can bring your own approved food and beverages), party experiences (Go Glow!, Pirate Quest, Super Hero Training Quest, Boppin Balloon Bash), goodie bags and more!

Some important things to consider before booking your party, for safety reasons, children under 34″ are not permitted on the inflatables. Everyone who plays on the inflatables, must wear socks. Adults can play too!! In fact, I have had so many parents make the comment, “I’m not sure who had more fun, the kids or adults!” and I couldn’t agree more!

We had such a fun time celebrating the girls’ birthday, that I would highly recommend checking out your nearest Pump It Up, to celebrate your little one’s next birthday bash!

Time to take them for a spin! This is where picture taking ends, since they had no idea how to use the brakes.

Goodbye, tricycles!

I’ve heard a lot of people say that age 2 is hard, but age 3 is harder. Since my girls were about to turn 3, the only sensible thing to do, to make life easier, would be to get a puppy!

Meet (Mama) Mia! She was born in mid-March and is an Australian Shepherd and Terrier Mix.

Okay, now to justify my crazy thinking, for all of you who are laughing right now. I grew up with two dogs, and having those dogs, was a huge part of my childhood, that I will cherish forever. They were part of my family, and I loved them so much!

I wanted the girls to have the same experience, and grow up with a furry best friend. There isn’t a day that goes by (sometimes an hour) that I don’t hear one of them say, “I love Mia so much!” or “She is the best dog ever!”

I’ve been asked, why would you get a dog, when you are still in the potty training phase with twins? Here’s my answer, after the initial phase of potty training, I am so de-sensitized from anything that comes out of a human or animal, I felt like now was a perfect time to potty train a puppy!

When tantrums are thrown or the witching hour is approaching, nothing is like a bigger breath of fresh air, then that adorable ball of fur, always by my side.

We adopted Mia through I.C.A.R.E. Dog Rescue. The entire litter of puppies was dumped off at a dog groomers, and a good friend of mine, was actually the foster Mom for Mama Mia and one of her brothers.

I.C.A.R.E. Dog Rescue is a non-profit, all-breed, no kill dog rescue. They rescue dogs at risk of being euthanized from shelters, as well as abandoned, abused, and stray dogs. They also rescue many dogs that have been surrendered by their owners, for various reasons. They are a 100% volunteer-run and supported organization, that cannot survive without the help of loving fosters, volunteers, and benefactors.

We finally had the chance to meet Mia at anI.C.A.R.E. adoption event, at a PetSmart in Lake Forest. My husband knew, the moment I held Mia in my arms, she was going to be joining our family that night. She is absolutely, the sweetest dog, I have ever met, and we are thrilled to add her as the newest member of our family!

If you wait for the perfect timing, you’ll wait forever. We have talked about getting a dog for quite a while but we never knew when that day would actually come. When we met Mia, at PetSmart, we just knew in our hearts, it was meant to be.

I finished my first half marathon with a time of 2:03:23. I ran strong for the first ten miles, but struggled and had some pain in the final three. When I crossed the finish line, nothing else mattered, I felt like I was on top of the world.

Running my first half marathon was a huge accomplishment, for a girl who used to have an, “I’m only a sprinter, why run further than 400 meters anyway?” attitude.

I have learned a lot about myself since I started running last October.

PATIENCE
I’ve learned patience. Patience has never been my best virtue. Okay let’s face it, I am impulsive and when I get an idea, I just want to do it… now…seriously… right now. I joined a run club in mid-October of last year. The purpose of the run club was to train for a 10K in December. What do I do? Sign up for a 10K in November, just to make sure I can do it. I was not ready, not properly trained, and by the end of the race, miserable in a lot of pain…for days! Lesson learned. I trained for 12 weeks for this half marathon. I added mileage to my weekly long run one mile at a time. If I felt pain, I stopped. I listened to my body. The result was finding the patience to run for two hours and cross the finish line with the biggest smile on my face and the biggest sense of accomplishment. I worked hard for this moment.

RUN YOUR OWN RACE
I used to sprint, which means my focus, was only on the finish line, with the hopes of running as fast as possible to beat as many people as I could. When I am running long distance, I have finally accepted that I am in competition with no one but myself. I’m not running to be better than anyone else, besides myself. I just want to be a better person and better runner than I was yesterday. I’ve learned to pace myself. Today, when the gun went off, I knew to pace an easy first mile, because that’s how I had always run in my training. I had swarms of people running by me left and right. I didn’t care. I was in my own world. I was running my own race.

ACCEPT DEFEAT
I’ve learned that I need to appreciate and enjoy the days that I just had a great run. Some days, I can run eight miles without a care in the world, and other days, I feel like I’m going to collapse on the ground after just a mile. Me and running don’t always get along, actually, some days running just sucks. As in life, bad days are going to happen. They can be very discouraging, but most of the time, my next run is so much better. I keep telling myself, if it were easy, everyone would do it too. It could be my stubbornness or determination but I’m not going to give up. If I get knocked down, I will get up again (you’re never gonna keep me down).

SET A GOAL
In order for me to stay focused and committed to my training, I have to have a goal that will keep me driven and motivated. My next race is already lined up, the Disneyland Half, in late-August. Since that is three months away, I would not be surprised if a another race pops up on my plate in the near future.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE
In life, a positive attitude is everything. In the past, I had convinced myself that I would never run a half marathon because I was not capable of achieving that goal. I was a sprinter. My body was not made to run long distance. When in reality, I did not have the patience nor the desire to put in the training, to prove myself wrong. When I go for a run and have a positive attitude, feeling great, and excited to get started, my run is usually awesome. When I go out the door, not really feeling it, my run usually sucks. It’s important to train your brain like your train your body. Today, before my race, I felt excited, focused and determined, and, at least for the first ten miles, had a great run! 90% of your race is your mental state that day. So smile, and be positive and make it a great run!

Although a little sore, I feel great this evening. I feel proud of my accomplishment. After so many years, I finally beat out the little voice in my head that always told me, “You can’t,” and never believed in me. That little voice was a liar. Today, I went the distance, for nobody else except myself.

Today, my girls were scheduled for their first dental cleaning. Naturally, I was nervous.

The first dental visit, which was a quick visual inspection of their teeth, resulted in a long wait, lots of tears, and a frustrated mommy. I knew that was not going to be the dental office for us, so I was already dreading future dental visits with toddlers.

After a year slipped away, from that unpleasant experience, I realized it was time to schedule their first cleaning. I decided to go to my twin mommy’s and ask them for help in selecting the right dentist. I immediately had referrals coming in, and reassuringly, they were all for the same person, Dr. Tina Azin, in Rancho Santa Margarita.

These moms could not have been more right! Everything about this dental office was perfect! From the moment you walk in, you feel like you’re at a tropical beach. The staff greeted us right away and the girls headed straight into the Tiki Hut, where they found toys, and video games.

We signed in and were happy to find out they are a paper-free office, so a few digital signatures and we were ready to go! The girls were called back right away and were seen at the same time, which is fabulous when you have multiple children!

The girls climbed in their chairs and were excited about the “ride,” as the chair reclined backwards. What was even more exciting, was the fact that there were TV’s on the ceilings that were playing our all time favorite movie, Frozen! Katarina and Danny were the Registered Dental Assistants that did the cleanings, and they were awesome!

I was in shock. The girls laid back in their chairs, listened to Katarina and Danny, and had their teeth cleaned, flossed, followed by an application of fluoride, and they were 100% cooperative…the entire time! It was like watching a movie. Were these my kids?

After their cleaning, the girls received a goody bag, which to a toddler, was like receiving a pot of gold.

Next, Dr. Tina (Azin) came over for one final look. She counted Katelyn’s teeth and Kate was surprised to find out there were 20 in there! When it was time to count Chelsea’s teeth, Katelyn helped Dr. Tina count. She wanted to make sure sissy had 20 in her mouth too! (She did.)

Overall, the dental visit was amazing. The girls did great, the staff was wonderful, and they can’t wait to go back for their next check-up! Finding the right pediatric dentist is so important. Our girls felt so comfortable here, from the moment they walked in the door. We hope to continue visiting Dr. Azin’s office as long as possible!